Paper-feeding mechanism for printing-presses.



No. 768,247. v PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904.

v x J. E. TUCKER. PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED 001214, 1903- NO MODEL- UNITED STATES Patented August 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JUNIUS E. TUCKER, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM S. BRIAN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

PAPER-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRlNTlNG-PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,247, dated. August 23, 1904.

"Application filed October 14, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J UNIUS E. TUCKER, a resident of Memphis, in the county of Shelby and will enable others skilled in the art to which it 'appertains' to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved paperfeeding mechanism for printing-presses, the object of the invention being to provide improved mechanism of this character which will automatically feed sheets of paper to the platen to be there printed upon andafterwardconveyed out of the way of the following sheet; and with this object in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation with parts removed, and Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the cylinder-grippers.

1 represents a stationary approximately vertical platen, and 2 a movable bed-plate carrying the necessary type and having a depending arm 3 movable therewith.

My improved feeding mechanism is supported on any approved framework which provides bearings for two shafts 4 and 5, on which cylinders 6 and 7, respectively, are secured and located with their peripheries in close proximity to each other and above and slightly to the rear of platen 1. On one end of shaft 4 a large gear 8 is secured, meshing with a gear 9 on shaft 5, and the latter gear receives its motion from a driving-pinion 10.

For conveying the paper sheets from between cylinders 6 and 7 I provide four endless tapes 11 and 12. The tapes 11 pass around cylinder 6, between the same and cylinder 7 thence down across platen 1, and around rollers 13, 14, and 15, back over cylinder 6. The

, paper sheets being used.

other pair of tapes, 12, pass from cylinder 7 Serial No. 177,061. (No modelJ moved vertically by a frame 19, engaging the lower face thereof. This frame 19 provides a screw-threaded sleeve 20, in which a threaded rod 21 is mounted, and has a ratchet-wheel- 22 secured on its lower end. This ratchet- Wheel is operated intermittently by a dog 23, carried by a horizontal longitudinally-sliding 6O rod 24, having a pin thereon adjustably secured in a slot 25 in the depending arm 3 of bed-plate 2, so that when the latter moves back and forth in printing the rod 21 will be turned to elevate frame 19 and platform 18 5 and feed the pile of paper vertically.

Above the pile of paper horizontal rods 25 i are mounted to slide longitudinally'and are supported at their rear ends on pins or a rod 26 and are made at such rear ends in the form 7 of loops or bails 27 to prevent displacement of the rods. The opposite or forward ends of one of the rods 25 is adjustably secured in a slot in gear 8 by a bolt 28 and the other rod 25 is similarly secured in a slot in a disk 29, secured on the opposite end of shaft 4. This slotted connection with the gear 8 and disk 29 enables the stroke of the rods 25 to be adjusted at will. The rods 25 are each provided With depending arms 30, having adjust- 8O ment longitudinally of rods 25, and are connected at their lower ends by a cross-rod 31, on which are adjustably secured ivory or bone feed-scrapers 32, which can be adjusted on rod 31 in accordance with the width of the 5 The paper is guided between cylinders 6 and 7 by means of an inclined plate 33, having an extreme inclination or chute 34 at its upper end, and cylinder 7 isprovided with suitable 9 grippers 35 to grasp the paper and carry it between the cylinders6 and 7 and between feeding-tapes 11 and 12. The grippers are raised by pin 39 on the frame engaging a suitable tumbler 36 at one end to receive the paper and are depressed and held in such depressed or gripping position by a spring or springs 37 to yieldingly hold the paper when fed thereto and permit of its disconnection when another pin on the frame engages the tumbler.

A weighted roller 38, mounted in adjustable slotted uprights 39 on the frame, bears on the' pile of paper to keep it in proper feeding position.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: As the printing bed-plate 2 moves back and forth in printing its depending arm 3, through the medium of rod 24:, dog 23, and ratchet-wheel 22, turns threaded rod 21 and elevates frame 19 and platform 18 to feed the pile of paper upward, and the top sheet will be engaged by feed-scrapers 82, controlled by the gear 8 and disk 29, to push said top sheet over to a position to be engaged by the grippers 35 and carried between the cylinders 6 and 7 and between the tapes 11 and 12, which latter will convey the paper sheet to the platen 1, where the paper will be momentarily held (by any suitable mechanism) and printed upon, the tapes then conveying it around roll 13 and between rolls 1 1 and 16, when it will be released and directed onto a pile or otherwise disposed of.

A great many changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a platen and means for printing thereon, of parallel cylinders, means for feeding sheets of paper between them, endless tapes passed over one of said cylinders and other endless tapes passing over the other cylinder and cooperating with the first-mentioned tapes to feed the paper across the platen.

2. The combination witha platen and means for printing thereon, of parallel cylinders, means for feeding sheets of paper between them,'two sets of endless tapes passed over the respective cylinders and adapted to receive paper between them and feed the paper across the platen, and means for moving the papersupply pile intermittently as the printing mechanism operates.

33. The combination with aplaten and means for printing thereon, of parallel cylinders, tapes passed over said cylinders and across the platen to feed paper sheets from between the cylinders to the platen and convey the same therefrom, a paper-sheet-supporting platform, means connected with and operated by the printing means for elevating said platform as the printing mechanism operates, and feed-scrapers adapted to engage a paper sheet and force it to the cylinders.

4. The combination with aplaten and means for printing thereon, of parallel shafts, cylinders thereon, tapes passed around said cylinders and across the platen, a vertically-movable paper supporting platform, a screwthreaded rod to move the 'ilatform when the rod is turned, a ratchet-wheel on the rod, an oscillating rod adjustably connected to and operated by the printing means, a dog carried by the rod to engage and turn the ratchetwheel and threaded rod, and means for feeding the paper from the platform between the cylinders and tapes.

5. The combination with a platen and means for printing thereon, of a vertically-movable platform for supporting a pile of paper sheets, means operated by the printing mechanism for elevating the platform as the pile diminishes, cylinders, tapes passed over said cylinders and across the platen, and pushers operated by the turning of one of said cylinders, to push the top paper sheet from the pile into contact with one of said cylinders, and grippers on said cylinder to carry the paper between the cylinders and tapes.

6. The combination withaplaten andn rans for printing thereon, of a vertically-moval)le platform for supporting a pile of paper sheets, means operated by the printing mechanism for elevating the platform as the pile diminishes, cylinders, tapes passed over said cylinders and across the platen, pushers operated by the turning of 'one of said cylinders to push the top paper sheet from the pile into contact with one of the cylinders, grippers on said cylinder to carry the paper sheet between the cylinders and tapes, and an inclined guideplate for directing the paper sheets from the pile to the cylinder when moved by the pushers.

7. The combination with a platen and means for printing thereon, of a vertically-movalile platform for supporting a pile of paper sheets, means operated by the printing mechanism for elevating the platform as the pile diminishes, cylinders, tapes passed over said cylinders and across the platen, pushers operated by the turning of one of said cylinders to push the top paper sheet from the pile into contact with one of the cylinders, grippers on said cylinder to carry the paper sheet between the cylinders and tapes, an inclined guideplate for directing the paper sheets from the pile to the cylinder when moved by the pushers, and a vertically-movable weighted roller resting on the pile of paper to hold it in proper feeding position.

8. The combination with a support for a pile of paper, a platen, and. means for printing thereon, of feeding-cylinders means for In testimony whereof I have signed this .conveylng the paper from said cylinders and specification 1n the presence of two subscribacross the platen, reclprocatlng rods operated lng Witnesses.

by one of said cylinders, depending arrnsad- J UNIUS E. TUCKER. 5 justably secured to said rods, a horizontal Witnesses: p F cross-rod carried 'by said arms, pushers ad? J. H. SOAIXE,

justaloly secured on said cross-rod. D. S. RICE. 

